Red or green? is the official State Question of New Mexico, asked at restaurants about the chile that comes with a dish. Green chile is chile that is not as far along in ripening as the red pods. Asking for Christmas means a plate with both. The word Christmas for this goes back only to the 1980s.
Chile is the official state vegetable. From August through September, roasters at grocery stores, farmers markets and roadside stands fill Albuquerque with the smell of green chile.